By Erica Laster                                                                                                                        Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

LA MASICA, Honduras –The government’s commitment to freedom of expression and encouragement from various lobbyists including IFEX-ALC, led to a pledge to investigate the increasing murders of journalists in the country.   The United Nations Human Rights Council offered recommendations to the Honduran government which they accepted, including freedom of expression, increasing authorities’ power to investigate and judiciary independence. 

Despite these affirmations for change, Henry Suazo became the 10th journalist to be murdered in Honduras in the past year on December 28, 2010. 

Mr. Suazo worked as an HRN Radio correspondent as well as at a local television station.  While leaving his house by bicycle in the La Masica municipality, two unknown assailants shot the journalist in the head. Authorities have not arrested anyone in connection with his murder.

IFEX-ALC (America Latina y el Caribe) will be closely monitoring the country’s compliance with the recommendations of the Human Rights Council.  Created in Montreal, Canada in 1992, IFEX, the International Freedom of Expression eXchange network, helps promote and defend change and investigations into violations of the right to freedom of expression.

Since the Honduran coup in 2009, Honduras freedom of expression situation has rapidly declined with a rise in censorship and violence against members of the media.  Anarella Vélez, the Vice President of Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), an IFEX member, noted that “IFEX-ALC’s support in the lead up to and during the UPR process was crucial in raising awareness about Honduras’s freedom of expression situation.”

The nine other journalists murdered this year in Honduras include: David Meza, Nicolás Asfura, Joseph Hernández Ochoa, Nahum Palacios Arteaga, Bayardo Mairena, Manuel Juárez, Luis Chévez Hernández, Georgino Orellana and Israel Zelaya Díaz.

María Antonieta Guillén, Vice President of Honduras, is heading the murder investigations of the journalists.  Guillen expressed “consternation and condemnation” for the journalists murders and indicated that an investigation of previous murders  demonstrates that they do not appear to be politically motivated. 

Photo courtesy of IFEX. For more information please visit:

IFEX – International Freedom of Expression Exchange

IFEX – Government Vows To Investigate Journalists Murders Thanks To IFEX-ALC – 10 November 2010

IFEX – Honduras Accepts United Nations Human Rights Council Recommendations On Free of Expression – 9 November 2010

Honduras Weekly – Tenth Journalist Murdered In Honduras – 28 December 2010

By Erica Laster                                                                                                                              Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Uncontrollable lynch mobs have contributed to the murder of at least 45 citizens of Haiti since the beginning of the cholera epidemic.  Ministry official Moise Fritz Evens confirmed that “The victims…were stoned or hacked with machetes before being burned in the streets.”   Many of the bodies were found burned, using gasoline and other accelerants or hacked to pieces using machetes.

Some Haitians believe that voodoo priests are responsible for bringing cholera to the country, a severe blow considering many are still recovering from the earthquake in January.  “People who practice voodoo have nothing to do with the cholera epidemic,” stated Max Beauvoir, head of one of the voodoo organizations in Haiti.   He believes that the police should be doing more to stop the murder of innocent priests.  Beauvoir and other heads have appealed to authorities in an attempt to assist priests and other victims of the lynch mobs.  

Haiti’s minister of communication appealed to the community to end the lynchings, calling for a campaign to disseminate information to citizens to better understand the origin and spread of cholera.    

Cholera causes diarrhea and vomiting in victims.  The disease can easily be treated with rehydration and antibiotics, but the sanitary conditions and lack of medical supplies has dealt a blow to Haiti’s population.  Almost 2,500 have been killed since October.

‘We have had cases every day since last week. People really believe that witches are taking advantage of the cholera epidemic to kill,” indicates Haitian prosecutor Kesner Numa.  Numa said the mobs had accused the victims of spreading cholera to regions previously unaffected by the disease.  40 of the victims were found in a region called Grand Anse in southwest Haiti and none have been arrested in connection with their deaths. 

For more Information please visit:

BBC News – Haiti Mobs Lynch Voodo Priests Over Cholera F–  24 December 2010

Daily Mail – Haiti Lynch Mobs Murder 40 Accused of Spreading Cholera With Sorcery – 23 December 2010

CNN – Officials: 45 People Lynched in Haiti Amid Cholera Fears – 24 December 2010

By Erica Laster
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – United States President Barack Obama announced the decision of the United States to endorse The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) on Thursday.  Adopted by the United Nations in 2007, the Declaration recognizes the fundamental rights and freedoms which indigenous people in the world are entitled to, banning discrimination against them.  Over 300 representatives of the nations federally recognized tribes were in attendance during the announcement at the White House Tribal Nations Conference.

Obama expressed concern that “by virtue of the longstanding failure to tackle wrenching problems in Indian Country, it seemed as though you had to either abandon your heritage or accept a lesser lot in life; that there was no way to be a successful part of America and a proud Native American.”

Part of the treaty requires “free prior and informed consent” by Tribal nations before the government takes actions which significantly impact Native Americans.

The first drafts of the treaty were written over 30 years ago.  Robert Coulter, the current executive director of the Indian Law Resource Center, was part of the first versions drafted and recognized the Declarations endorsement as the first of many steps in ensuring justice for Native Americans.

Coulter indicated that, “To see the promise of the declaration become a reality, we must continue to fight for laws, policies and relationships that take into account the permanent presence of Indian nations in this country, and throughout the world.”

“Washington can’t – and shouldn’t – dictate a policy agenda for Indian Country.  Tribal nations do better when they make their own decisions,” President Obama stated.

An estimated 350 million people of indigenous background live in the world.  The United States is home to approximately two million of them.  A number of tribal leaders and rights advocates urged the U.S. to re-evaluate its policies toward Native Americans.  The last country to endorse the Declaration, the United States support was preceded by Canada in November, New Zealand in April and Australia in 2009.

For more information please visit:

Inter Press Service – U.S., Last Holdout On Native Rights Declaration, Reverses Stand – 17 December 2010

Amnesty USA Blog – President Obama Endorses the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – 16 December 2010

United Nations Permanent Forum On Indigenous Issues – US Endorses Indigenous Declaration – 16 December 2010

By Erica Laster                                                                                                                       Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Spanish authorities re-arrested Former Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann in Spain on Thursday for the second time this month.  Vielmann is wanted in connection with the execution of prisoners at El Pavon Prison in Guatemala, extrajudicial killings and the murder of case witnesses. Evidence suggests that the murders were not the result of a vicious gun battle, but a carefully staged execution. 

After Guatemalan authorities were unable to capture Vielmann, Spanish authorities arrested him on the basis of a Guatemalan warrant.  40 days later, authorities were forced to release him because of lack of an extradition request.

In 2006, 7 inmates were killed at El Pavon prison immediately preceding a raid where authorities were thought to have discovered corruption among inmates.  Authorities later discover that top officials and prison personnel were involved in illegal and illicit activities including drug trafficking and prostitution.  Guatemalan authorities are also seeking his arrest in connection with the killing of 3 escaped inmates located at El Infiernito prison in 2005.

The UN backed group, International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, spearheaded the effort to bring down the former Interior Minister after discovering his involvement.  New photographic evidence shows Vielmann standing next to prison officials the day of the uprising.  Further photographic evidence shows that some prisoners were redressed and moved after being executed.

A report by the Guatemalan Human rights Ombudsman’s Office and new physical evidence tracks the fate of various inmates.  One inmate was shown shot to death with no bullet holes in his clothing, suggesting that he was shot while naked and redressed to cover the execution. 

“There are no super-citizens that are above the law,” says Francisco Dall’Anese, head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala.  Vielmann was arraigned Thursday after turning himself into authorities, charged with murder, crimes against humanity and released on $132,000 bail.    

For more information, please visit:

CNN – Fugitive Guatemalan Official Re-arrested – 17 December 2010

CNN – Photos Provide Evidence In Guatemalan Killings Case, Officials Say – 15 December 2010

CNN – Spain Re-arrests Ex-Guatemalan Minister – 16 December 2010

By Erica Laster                                                                                                                         Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

CUERNAVACA, Mexico – Under orders from the South Pacific Cartel, a 14 year old U.S. citizen has been identified as the murderer behind a number of beheadings committed in Mexico.  After his arrest Thursday evening, the 14 year old faced a series of questions from photographers, without any attempt to maintain or protect his identity from retaliation.  “I slit their throats,” he answered point blank in response to a question regarding the murder of four people.

United States State Department Official, Gini Staub stated that, “We have confirmed the boy’s U.S. citizenship but can’t say anything more about the boy’s situation in the absence of a (provisional arrest warrant) signed by at least one of the parents.”

Authorities arrested the teen at a local airport in central Mexico.  Officials discovered U.S. passports and two cell phones with photographs of the torture victims in his possession.  The teenager indicated that he joined the cartel under threat of death.  “I either work or he’ll kill me,” he stated.  “He,” is better known as Julio “El Negro” Padilla, one of the leaders of Pacifico Sur Cartel.  The teen claimed that Padilla kidnapped and recruited him at the age of 11, paying him weekly in dollars and in pesos.

According to a series of videos posted on the internet, the 14 year old’s arrest was coupled with that of his sisters.  His sisters were allegedly used as decoys to lure victims to their death and dispose of the bodies after being tortured.  In one such video other suspects confessed to being responsible for the deaths of several men found hanging from a Cuernavaca bridge.  The remaining suspects in custody admitted placing the youth in charge of beheading the victims and cutting off their genitals.

Most widely known as the home of many wealthy families, Cuernavaca is generally used as a site at which families residing in Mexico City maintain second homes.  However, Cuernavaca is involved in a fierce drug war as traffickers fight for control of the Arturo Beltran Leyva cartel, whose leader was recently killed by military forces.

Martin Perez, director of Mexico’s Children’s Rights Network denounced the decision to parade the boy in front of the cameras, risking his safety and inviting retaliation from drug cartels.  “Everyone has the right to be presumed innocent,” he said. “Also, it could put his life at serious risk. We have to remember that this is a fight between criminal organizations.”

President Calderon acknowledged “in the most violent areas of the country, there is an unending recruitment of young people without hope, without opportunities.”  Mexico currently has no system for trying juveniles, who are simply placed in detention centers and released upon reaching 18.   No formal charges have been filed against the youth, pending the outcome of further investigative measures.

For More Information Please Visit:

MSNBC – 14 -year-old: Mexican drug gang made me behead 4 – 3 December 2010

CNN – U.S.: Accused teen hit man in Mexico is an American citizen – 6 December 2010

FOX – Mexico Nabs 14-Year-Old Cartel Hitman – 3 December 2010